Garden facelift hit by vandals

Efforts to give a historic Gorleston garden a facelift for the future have been poorly finished and marred by vandals, campaigners claimed this weeek.

Williamson's Lookout, in High Road, was resurrected thanks to a �120,000 raft of improvements funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, which enhances open spaces.

The improvements, including a viewing platform, new fencing, railings and planting, have been in place for three years but not properly finished, signposted or officially opened, it is claimed.

Now, the theft of brass decor-ations to the main feature compass at the lookout has shattered local pride and added to a list of destruction, including snapped trees and graffiti. The complaints came as conservationists at Great Yarmouth Borough Council said they were poised to install an interpretation board that would have completed the restoration of the garden, which once belonged to Koolunga House opposite.

The site was left by Addison Williamson in memory of her husband in 1937 and overlooks Darby's Hard, where Lord Nelson is said to have landed after the Battle of the Nile.

Borough conservation officer Darren Barker said the aim was to provide quality open space at the historically important spot. The scheme had involved the council and community, and he was disheartened by the vandalism. But Margaret Ward of Start, a conservation group set up for the St Andrew's area, said there were continuing problems with lights, which needed to be set more firmly in the ground.

She said she had told the council nearly a year ago that the expensive-looking metal plate - now missing - had not been fixed securely.

“It's really upsetting,” she said. “Quite a lot of money went into that project but it has never been properly finished or had an official opening or had its naming plates put up. It is one of the only things that has been done on this side of the river, and it is very disappointing and a great shame to lose the value of that money.”